Deliver Us From Evil
by Meredith Bronwen Mallory
Summary: Padme is the key component in the building of Vader's lightsaber...


**Author's Notes**: This is definitely independent from all my other stories. It's short, weird, and not my fault. ^_~ Seriously, this is what happens when you over-dose on four hours of Kaitou Jeanne. 

Never the less! I would be absolutely honored and indebted to you if you would email me. Please, I beg of you! ^_^ Send all comments to mallorys-girl@cinci.rr.com.   
~Meredith 

Legal Disclaimer: I swear to God I'm not in charge... 

Personal Disclaimer: I am a hopeless romantic, but sometimes not a very nice  
one. YOU. HAVE. BEEN. WARNED. ^_~ 

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Deliver Us From Evil 1/1  
by Meredith Bronwen Mallory  
mallorys-girl@cinci.rr.com  
http://www.demando.net/  
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Padme` prayed, hands clasped loosely, dark lashes draped over her eyes. If there was no pity for her, if no one else heard her, Vader did. 

He saw her sitting on the walkway of small pond, dipping her bare feet in the warm summer water. She hid herself in the barest of shadows, sheltered as much by the curved temple roof as by the atmosphere of Alderaan itself. The sunset rendered everything in tones of cool cream and brown. She was real, alive and tangible, and all of this things might have been a surprise had he not known her so deeply. In the smooth, almost violet water, he saw her reflection, as well as his own shadow. This vision was the strongest he'd ever had, a transparent setting that embedded itself over the real world. For a moment, he stopped (mind you, only to strengthen his resolve), before continuing to construct his new lightsaber. 

The pieces were scattered around him on the work table, the only thing that fit in the chamber. Silence clung to him, as real as the dark robes he wore to cover his deformity, broken only by the sound of his own breathing. He was used to it now, and did not hear it any more. Carefully, he reached for the lightsaber's casing, which was small and black and would be easier for him to handle. It would serve as another asset in battle, but it was nothing to the Dark Side. 

_ "Hollowed is all Life and all Creation."_

He could hear her, her prayers, if he wished. He chose not to. He watched her, though, and the dimming light lent the barest edges of her lips a strange, hypnotic shade. Several moments passed before he returned to the task at hand. 

The microwelder was small and difficult for him to handle at first. Frustration flowed in his veins as he dropped it once, then twice. The anger gave him focus, however, and he managed to grip the tool. He held it between two large fingers, using to adjust a few circuits before welding the casing shut. 

_ "The darkness has closed around me. I beg for solace now."_

She wasn't pleading to him, he knew that. Never in her wildest dreams would she ask anything of him. Not now. Determined, he ignored the sudden shaking of his hands, using his mind to manipulate the next few pieces. The energy cells slipped into the dark (coffin) casing without a touch. The tiny laser generator came next, and required a great deal of concentration. From the corner of his eye, he saw Padme`'s hands clench as her own breathing became a struggle. She didn't make a sound, at least not that he heard. No, what broke the silence was the laser generator, as it slipped from its proper position. It took several tries, but at last it settled into place. Mentally, he saw the circuits and wires connect completely- a work of art. Without thinking, he reached for the next piece. The focusing crystal. 

Her fingers began to move, swiftly, in the manner prescribed for Nubian prayer. Fascinated, Vader drew his eyes from the crystal, watching the motion of her hands. Dainty, swift, graceful, their dance was almost frantic. Her hands were soft, too, but that was hard to remember. For a wild moment, his breathing ceased its rhythmic cycle, and Vader desperately turned his attention back to the crystal. 

Padme`'s hands were no longer folded in prayer. She placed them lightly against her breast, crying in her own way. There were no tears. 

Vader held the gem in his hands, studying it in the light. It was a deep red, almost like her eyes, which were a brown composed of gold, crimson and chameleon opal. His face arranged itself in the closest thing to a smile, for this gem had a name. The Jewel of Zenda. 

Her hands clutched, right over her heart. She was in pain. 

_ "Forgive us, now and in the hour of our Death."_

With the utmost care, he slid the jewel inside the casement, satisfaction flowing through him (with another, more sorrowful feeling he did not name) when he heard it click into place. Almost there. 

She was still mouthing words, as he connected the last few circuits. Fear had cast itself over her face, a shadow as tall and dark as he was, but she showed it only briefly. Instead, she bit her lip, and blood collected there; red, as his lightsaber would be. Alderaan's sun had slipped almost completely beyond the horizon; she sat in the twilight darkness with her light gown spread around her, the edges of it trailing in the water. It looked a lot like her wedding dress, but he knew it wasn't the same thing. 

The lightsaber completed, Lord Vader held it up under the work-lamp. Only the handle was there, of course, black as night. The blade itself was dead, and would need Life to function. He sat for a long time, holding the dead handle, watching Padme` as she gathered the quiet within herself. Some part of him expected her to lower her eyes, but instead she raised them, scanning the unfamiliar starscape. Coruscant was not visible from Alderaan, not even as the smallest star, but she knew where it would be anyway. She was looking at its empty place- she was looking at him. 

Darth Vader stood, his thumb moving over the trigger, put not giving any pressure. He understood that although she with-held herself from him, she passed no judgment. It was not her way. 

Padme Naberrie Skywalker closed her eyes, head still lifted, and waited. Shadows danced on the edge of her vision. 

_ "Deliver us from evil."_

He had to summon his anger to do it, had to think about how he hated and how he'd been wronged. He would not have been able to throw the switch otherwise. The crimson blade sprung to Life as Padme`'s heart gave one Deathly lurch. Briefly, her hand clenched on the edge of the pond. Then, she slipped silently and without protest into the water. The face he had so loved relaxed, looking peaceful, silent and sad. Her hair was a rich cloud around her pale face, her lips red with her own blood. The water spread her gown around her, and she became a thing suspended. Held forever. Bail Organa found her sometime later, wept over the cold that had invaded her body, the stillness of the blood in her veins. 

But Vader had known all along that only drowning would preserve her beauty in Death. 


End file.
